Type-writing machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Dec. 17,1895.

W. P. QUENTELL. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

N0 Model.)

I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. P. QUENTELL. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

' W. P. QUENTELL.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 551,404. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

4 Shee tsSheet 4.

(No Model.)

W. P QUENTELL. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 551,404. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

7 ANDREW IGRAHAMJHOTOUTKQWASHNGTON DC UNITED STATES \VILLIAM'P.QUENTELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

'TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551 ,404, datedDecember 17, 1895.

Application filedMay 29, 1894-.- Serial No. 512,886. (No model.)

This invention has for its object to provide a type-writing machine ofnovel yet simple construction which can be made at a low cost; and theinvention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts of the printing mechanism, and more particularlyto a novel means for operating the type-carrier and printinghammer.

Other improvements relate to the manner of supporting the keylever, andto certain features of construction in the roller by which the paper isfed.

In the machine there is employed a suitable base on which the operativeparts are mounted, such parts comprising a sliding paper-carriage havinga roller for feeding the paper with suitable feed mechanism, a series ofpivoted key-levers, a vertically-arranged shaft capable of partialrotation and carrying the type, and mechanism operated by the keyleversfor partially rotating the shaft and bringing the desired type characterinto printing position, together with a hammer which preferably forcesthe paper against the type.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view with parts omitted.Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken at right angles through thecarriage and centrally through the base. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs.4. and 5 are detailed views, respectively, in side elevation and plan ofone extremity of the key-lever, showing its construction to adapt it toreceive a button. Fig. 6 is a detail showing in elevation the centralrotating post, a pinion loosely mounted thereon, asliding locking-key,and, in end view, means for sliding said key. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveshowing the upper end of the rotating post and sliding key, a rock shaftfor operatingsaid sliding key and a pivotedlatch engaged with one of thekeylevers. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on the line 8 S of Fig. 7. Fig.8 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 8, looking in the directionindicated by the arrow. Fig. is a plan view below the line 9 9 of Fig.8, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the sliding key for locking the pinionto the rotating post.

In the drawings, 10 represents the base on which is mounted apaper-carriage 11. In a central position on the base is mounted, so asto partially rotate, a post 12, which will be suitably stepped at itslower end into the base, while its upper end has a bearing in an arm 13projecting from frame-pieces 14 '15, which are curved in the arc of acircle concentric to the central rotatable post 12 and supported onbrackets 15 rising from the base. The frame-pieces ll 15 are slotted toreceive, support and guide the forward ends of keylevers 16, said leversbeing notched, as shown at 16, to embrace the bottoms of the slots inthe frame-piece 15, and the forward ends of said levers are hooked, asat 16, to engage the rear bar 17 of the pivoted frame 18, the latterbeing pivoted on a pin 19 in the brackets 20, also rising from the base.Said frame 18 is normally held in a substantially horizontal position bythe spring 21, and the key-levers are normally held in a similarposition by springs 22. The frame 18 has a pendent arm 23 engaged with alink 24: pivoted upon a swinging gear-segment 25, the pivot of saidsegment being marked 26, and the connection of the link to the segmentbeing eccentric to said pivot. Loosely mounted on the post 12 is apinion 27, having asleevcd hub 28, which is provided with a slot, as at29, to receive the end of a sliding key 30, said key being mounted toslide in a suitable keyway formed by slots in sleeves 31 3.

The sleeve 31 carries a type-segment 33, which is curved in the are of acircle concentric to the central post, and upon the face of which aremounted in any convenient way a series of type. These may be cast in asheet on a rubber plate; but I prefer to employ metal or other hardtype. Of course more than one series of type may be employedas, forexample, upper and lower case charact ers-and suitable means will beprovided, if desired, for raising and lowering these typesegments on theshaft so as to bring the different series of characters into properposition for use, but nothing is claimed herein on this feature.

The sleeve 82 carries an arm 34, and on this arm is mounted a rock-shaft35,having one end 35 thereofengaged in a notch 30 in the upper end ofthe sliding key 30, while the opposite end 35 of the rockshaft isdownturned in position to be engaged by the end of the key-lever whenthe key is actuated, as clearly seen in Fig. 7. As shown in this View,when the upper end of the key-lever is clepressed'its inner end isthrown up and in the rotation of the central post the arm 34 carryingthe roclcshaft is swung so that the nose of a latch 36, pivoted uponsaid arm, rides over the front edge of the inner end of the key-leverand is caused to engage therewith by means of the spring 37. Thedownturned end 35 of the rock-shaft strikes the key-lever, thus rockingsaid shaft in its bearing and causing its end 35, which is engaged inthe notch 30* of the key 30, to lift said key, thus releasing the pinion27 carried on the post.

The parts just above described constitute a stop to limit the rotat-ivemovement of the central post and the consequent movement in the arc of acircle of the printingsegment, and. the engagement of this stop with theend of the key-lever further operates to release the locking mechanism.whereby the pinion has been secured with the post, thus releasing saidpinion and permitting its further rotation while the typesegmeut islocked in the printing position.

The operation of the parts thus far described may be briefly stated asfollows: Upon the depression of any key-lever of the series its forwardhooked end will engage the pivoted frame 18 and through the pendent armand pivoted link will swing the segmental gear on its axis, and saidsegmental gear being enmeshed with the pinion on the post carrying thetype-segment said post and segment will perform a partial rotation, theextent of the movement being dependent upon which particular type -leveris depressed. The series of type-levers,it will be understood, aremarked to correspond with the type characters on the printing-segment,and the movement of the type-segments being necessarily greater to bringsome of the characters into position than to bring others into likeposition some of the type-levers are depressed to a correspondinglygreater extent than others. In each case, however, the type-lever isdepressed and the segment moved until the action is arrested by theengagement of the stop-lever carried by the shaft with the typeleverwhich is actuated, and when such engagement occurs the latch passesover, the small rock-shaft carried by the stop-arm is rocked on itspivot, the sliding key engaging the sleeve of the pinion carried by thepost is raised so as to free the pinion from the post, and then a slightfurther movement downward of the key-lever will cause a movement of thepinion independent of the post. This last movement is utilized tooperate a hammer, which forces the paper against the type, and whichwill nowbe described. The hammer is marked 38 and is pivoted at 39 on astandard rising from the base, and beyond its pivot is carried below thepaper-carriage,

and its extremity passes above the paper-car- I riage in position tostrike a flexible platen 40, along the face of which the paper 41 isfed. The printing-segment, it will be under stood, will be brought intoposition opposite the end of the hammer 38, and the paper and platen arethus interposed between the end of said hammer and the desired typecharacter. The hammer is normally held back by the spring 42 and isrocked on its pivot by an arm 43 depending from the front of the pivotedframe 13. Now, after the desired type character is brought into printingposition andthe sliding key is lifted so as to free the pinion thefurther depression of the key-1e ver will cause a further tilting of thepivoted frame 18 until its pendent arm 43 strikes the forward end of thehammer 38, thus rockin g the latter on its pivot and causing its openative endto strike the platen 40, forcing the paper 4lagainst the typecharacter. Upon the release of the key-lever its spring returns it toits normal position. The pivoted frame is also returned to its normalposition by its spring. The latch slips off the end of the key lever asthe latter is depressed by its spring. The rock-shaft which lifted thekey is re leased and the key is depressed by a spring 44, carried by thestop-arm, so as to lock the pinion to the post.

Any suitable means may be provided for inking the type. I have shown asimple inkroll 45 rotatably mounted in vertical position adjacent to thepath of the type-segment and adapted to roll over the face of the typeon the type-segment as the latter moves into printing position.

The paper-carriage 11 is mounted to slide endwise in suitable ways 46 onthe base, and said carriage has a feed-roll 47 which is normally pressedagainst stationary feed-plates 48 by means of springs 49. Thisconstruction is employed because a spring feed-plate acts unequally atdifferent points upon the paper, and thereforecauses the latter to feedunevenly. The springs 49 may be so adprovided with the usual rack-bar50, and a suitable feed mechanism actuated by the depression of theframe 18 will cause the stepby-step movement of the carriage as theprinting progresses.

The first effect of the move- ZOO ment of the frame 18 is to space, thesecond to bring the type into position to print, and the third and lastis to actuate the hammer.

I have shown a simple and eflicient means for securing the buttons tothe key-levers. The key-levers are preferably out out from thin sheetmetal and their outer ends are upturned, as shown in the detail view,Fig. 4, and split as at 51., and the ends thus separated are spread orbent in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 5, to permit the button 52to be sprung over them. These buttons are usually metal disks, bearingon their upper surfaces the imprint of a character corresponding to oneor more of the characters of the type-segment.

The main object of this invention being to secure an efficient machineof small size and which can be economically made, the particularfeatures of construction above described are important to these ends,but it will be understood that variations in the structural details maybe made Without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim 1. In a typewriter of the class described, the combination witha rotatable post, of a type segment carried thereby, a pinion looselymounted on the post, means for locking said pinion to rotate with thepost, a gear enmeshed With the pinion, a series of key levers, andconnections adapted to be operated by the key levers when depressedwhereby to actuate the gear and thereby the pinion, the post and thetype segment carried thereby to bring a type character into printingposition, and a stop carried by the post and adapted to engage the keylever, substantially as described.

2. In a typewriter of the class described, the combination with arotatable post, of a type segment carried thereby, a pinion looselymounted on the post, means for locking said pinion to rotate with thepost, a gear enmeshed with the pinion, a series of key levers andconnections adapted to be operated by the key levers when depressedwhereby to actuate the gear and thereby the pinion, the post and thetype segment carried thereby to bring a type character into printingposition, a stop carried by the post and adapted to engage the key leverand a latch carried by the stop and adapted to engage the key lever tolock the printing segment in position, substantially as described.

3. In a typewriter of the class described, the combination with a seriesof pivoted key levers, of a pivoted frame, a gear operated thereby, apost carrying a type segment, a pinion loosely mounted on said post andenmeshed Wlth the gear, a sliding key adapted to lock said pinion, astop arm carried by the shaft and adapted to engage the key lever whendepressed and a rock shaft carried by the stop arm and adapted whenrocked by engagernent With the key lever to lift the key and to releasethe pinion, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a typewriter of the class described, the combination with a seriesof pivoted key levers, of a pivoted frame, a gear operated thereby, apost carrying a type segment, a pinion loosely mounted on said post, asliding key adapted to lock said pinion With the post, a stop armcarried by the shaft and adapted to engage the key lever when depressed,a rock shaft carried by the stop arm and adapted to lift the key torelease the pin ion, and a pivoted hammer adapted to be actuated by thepivoted frame, substantially as described,

WILLIAM P. QUENTELL.

'Witnesses NILEs H. HAND, J. A. FARQUHAR.

